Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Liu Ji, in the manner of a strategist, analyzed the situation as follows:

"Since Emperor Wanli stopped attending court for twenty-eight years, the annual revenue of the Taicang granary has been less than four million taels."

"When Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, the nine border regions owed more than ten million taels of silver in taxes, Shaanxi and Gansu were devastated, and the plague raged across North China."

"Furthermore, the 'Little Ice Age' arrived, causing celestial anomalies, with summer frost and winter thunder in seven provinces in the north and south, resulting in a complete crop failure of rice and wheat."

"Even with the talents of Emperor Hongwu, it would be difficult to turn the tide."

This systematic analysis became the final straw that broke Zhu Youjian's psychological defenses.

His shoulders trembled violently, and tears welled up uncontrollably, streaming down his cheeks.

"A world of chilling cold?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, his gaze sharp:

Even so, how could he, as the emperor, simply sit idly by and await his death?

"Back then, there was a severe drought in Huaixi, and countless people starved to death. We personally led our soldiers, eating grass roots and drinking horse blood, and fought our way out!"

He then turned his attention to Emperor Chongzhen.

"If a ruler blames natural disasters for everything, how can such a spineless person be worthy of sitting on the dragon throne?"

The bronze crane palace lantern inside the hall suddenly shook, its shadow trembling wildly, as if it too was startled by the Emperor Taizu's anger.

Liu Ji lowered his head slightly, his white hair standing out starkly in the light and shadow, and he insisted on revealing the root cause:

"Your Majesty, the ice three feet thick did not freeze in a single day. The fall of the Ming Dynasty was not a matter of a single day or night."

These words paved the way for Zhu Di's advice.

He stepped forward without hesitation and echoed:

"What the Earl of Chengyi said makes sense, but I believe that the root cause of the Ming Dynasty's demise lies in the ancestral system established by Father Emperor."

These words were like a thunderbolt from the blue!

Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Zhu Di:

"Oh? Fourth Prince, tell me then, how did the foundation I established become the root of disaster for the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Di did not back down, meeting that menacing gaze head-on, and directly pointed out the flaws in the system:

"Father, you abolished the position of prime minister, ordered the six ministries to be directly under the emperor, and established the Embroidered Uniform Guard to supervise all officials."

"While this centralized power stabilized the Hongwu reign, it also made the court officials live in constant fear, as if walking on thin ice—"

He suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the dragon's offspring on the left, asking a series of questions.

"May I ask future emperors, who has the energy to review a thousand memorials a day? Who has the prestige to command the court like my father?"

His words flowed like a torrent, relentlessly pointing out the consequences.

"By the time of the Chongzhen Emperor, the system had become a breeding ground for factional strife!"

"The cabinet and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs are vying for power, while civil officials are fighting with the secret police and the imperial guards. With the court so embroiled in internal strife, how can it not perish?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered:

"I established the Embroidered Uniform Guard to eliminate treacherous officials! Is it the right path to let corrupt ministers control the government?"

"Purge the treacherous officials?"

Zhu Di took half a step forward and asked in return:

"The Hu Weiyong case implicated tens of thousands of people, and countless loyal officials were killed. This kind of 'purge' chills the hearts of the people!"

He took a deep breath and vented all his pent-up frustrations from the past century.

"The Emperor's abolition of the prime minister may seem like a move to consolidate power, but in reality, it stifles free speech and allows eunuchs to interfere in politics!"

As Zhu Cilang gazed at the Prince of Yan's imposing figure, the awe-inspiring power his great-grandfather had displayed when he launched the Jingnan Campaign, now transformed into a public debate with the Taizu Emperor.

The emperors on the left stood with their hands at their sides, holding their breath, like clay or wooden sculptures.

Only the wooden kite between the fingers of Emperor Tianqi, Zhu Youxiao, was unconsciously spinning back and forth.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened, and his hand resting on the armrest of the dragon throne suddenly tightened:

"Fourth Prince, are you questioning my policies for governing the country?"

Zhu Di remained unmoved, his voice booming:

"Your Majesty, I dare not slander your achievements, but I must tell the truth!"

"The system of feudal princes was a double-edged sword, and the internal strife during the Jianwen reign was its very consequence! If the feudal princes had not been weakened, how could the Ming Dynasty have descended into such fratricide?"

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his fist on the table, the table thudding and causing the pen holder on it to shake slightly. He roared angrily:

Are you blaming me?

Zhu Di did not back down, his tone firm:

"How dare I blame my father? I only hope that he will investigate the matter thoroughly!"

He raised his voice and stepped onto the jade steps.

"The decline of the Ming Dynasty was never due to the iron cavalry of the Jurchens, nor to Li Zicheng's hoe."

His boot stopped at the edge of the jade steps, and his words astonished everyone present.

"It's a cage of power that my father himself forged!"

"When you abolished the Secretariat and divided power among the Six Ministries, did you ever imagine that a hundred years later, imperial power would become rotten flesh torn apart by civil officials and the eunuch faction?"

He suddenly turned to face the civil and military officials.

"Furthermore, the military system of the garrison system has deteriorated, and military households have been reduced to tenant farmers; the Yellow Register has not been updated for a hundred years, and powerful families have been able to annex land without restraint."

"Aren't all these sores and boils the result of the evils borne from ancestral systems?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze seemed to pierce through the mists of time spanning hundreds of years:

"So, according to you, the empire I conquered has become the root of all evil?"

Zhu Di remained unyielding:

"Father, if the Ming Dynasty is to last for eternity, it must puncture its festering sore and expose it to the light!"

"You traitor! Shut up!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face suddenly darkened, and he abruptly stood up, his tall figure elongated under the starlight, his voice like thunder:

"I founded the Ming Dynasty for the sake of lasting peace! So that the sons of Han will no longer be oppressed by the barbarians!"

He pointed his halberd at Zhu Di, then swept his gaze over the bowed emperors.

"It is you unworthy descendants who have turned this ironclad land into a ruined kiln!"

"Instead of reflecting on their own faults, they blame the swordsmith?"

"It's time to hand over this empire to someone capable of shouldering its responsibilities!"

The tense standoff between father and son was fragmented into mottled shadows by the star projections of Lingxu Palace.

Under Zhu Yuanzhang's piercing gaze, Zhu Di's tense shoulders finally collapsed, and he let out a long sigh before slowly retreating to his original position.

The atmosphere in the hall was tense. Zhu Cilang felt as if the last words of the Taizu Emperor had struck his heart like a heavy hammer, making it hard to breathe.

Zhu Yuanzhang returned to the dragon throne, his chest heaving gradually subsided, and the anger in his eyes slowly dissipated.

His gaze was piercing, slowly sweeping over the crowd before he finally spoke in a deep, thoughtful voice:

"The Ming Dynasty, which I have built with my own hands through countless hardships, cannot be easily destroyed!"

"To ensure the Ming Dynasty lasts for thousands of years and to protect the well-being of its people, I have made a decision."

His gaze suddenly turned to Zhu Cilang, and he solemnly announced:

"Grandson Zhu Cilang kneels to receive the Mandate of Heaven!"

Zhu Cilang was startled and hurriedly lifted his robes, knelt down, and bowed his head.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was solemn and dignified, and his voice was like a divine decree:

"Today, I hereby confer upon my thirteenth-generation descendant, Zhu Cilang, the title of Emperor of the Great Ming."

"I hope you will drive out the barbarians, restore China, establish order and discipline, and save the people."

"Abolish the old laws, establish new systems, lift the maritime ban, and revitalize the Ming Dynasty. Save the people from suffering and restore the dignity of Han officials."

The boy's throat tightened, his prostrate body trembled slightly, and he kowtowed again:

"Grandson Zhu Cilang, receiving the imperial edict from the founding emperor!"

"We must use the iron will of Hongwu to cleanse the world, even if it means sacrificing our lives, to restore the sun and moon to their former glory!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly descended the jade steps, his black boots landing in front of Zhu Cilang.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, then suddenly laughed:

"We'll teach you the way to become an emperor!"

The tone suddenly turned chilling, and the Emperor Taizu tapped his fingers on the boy's shoulder:

"When you get back, grandson, remember this—"

"The first strike in the Southern Capital will target three types of people: the powerful and wealthy who occupy land, the corrupt nobles, and the empty-talking Donglin Party members."

"Back then, I punished corrupt officials with the torture of skinning them alive and stuffing them with straw, and you..."

He pondered for a moment, then his eyes flashed even colder.

"Remember this: to kill the powerful and wealthy, use the blood of the refugees as a pretext; let the starving people tear their bones to pieces!"

"Those who were corrupt and embezzled were given coffins made of precious nanmu wood and nailed alive into the late emperor's mausoleum to be buried with him! As for the Donglin Party..."

He spoke slowly and deliberately.

"You must gouge out their tongues, so that all scholars in the world will know that empty talk of benevolence and righteousness is less valuable than a single head from the nine border regions!"

Zhu Cilang felt a sudden surge of panic, but then he saw the Emperor Taizu raise his eyebrows and give a cold smile:

"Back then, when Xu Da had a carbuncle on his back, we rewarded him with steamed goose; when Lan Yu plotted rebellion, we skinned him alive! Do you know why?"

Zhu Cilang looked puzzled and subconsciously shook his head.